


Realization Hits

by Crows_Imagine



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, slight Yamakage if you look
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-29
Updated: 2019-09-29
Packaged: 2020-11-07 14:54:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20819159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crows_Imagine/pseuds/Crows_Imagine
Summary: When Kei offers to tutor Hinata, of his own accord, no less, he’s not sure who is more surprised, him or the tutoree in question.





	Realization Hits

**Author's Note:**

> This is a gift for my person from a server exchange, hope you enjoy!!! :D

When Kei offers to tutor Hinata, of his own accord, no less, he’s not sure who is more surprised, him or the tutoree in question. He’s walking with the other second years to Coach Ukai’s store, when Hinata is griping about an upcoming English test.

“My parents hired me an English tutor from Johenzji,” Kageyama says. “I’ve been meeting with her after practice a few days a week.”

“Your grades really have improved!” Yachi happily says. “I’m proud, Kageyama!”

Kageyama blushes slightly. “I’ve started taking notes like you suggested, Yachi-chan.”

“I’m glad!” she chirps.

“My English grades suck,” Hinata complains. He must be gloom because instead of jumping around like a Pogo stick, he only kicks a rock. “Sensei has tried to set me up with tutors from school and none of them are good.”

“If sensei is setting you up, then they must be good,” Kageyama says. “You just suck.”

“Hey!” Hinata protests.

“Hinata, didn’t you say your grades sucked?” Yamaguchi gently asks.

“Only I get to say that,” Hinata pouts. “And I said my grades only!” They arrive to Coach Ukai’s store and are about to split into the buyers and the waiters.

“I’ll help you.” The words slip out before he realizes the content and the weight of this promise.

All four second years spin towards him.

“What?” Hinata stares up at him, a hilarious mix of confusion and joviality crossing his face.

“Tsukki?” Yamaguchi titters.

Kageyama is about to make a comment, but Yachi tugs on his sleeve. “Let’s find that strawberry milk I told you about, Kageyama-kun,” she says, eyes flicking towards Kei and Hinata, as if she fears a potential fight. Kageyama glances back towards them before nodding, making his way with Yachi to the store. Yamaguchi hesitates, but joins them, not after sparing a look over his shoulder.

“Are you being a bastard again?” Hinata asks, still unsure.

Kei snorts. He won’t lie and say he’s not amused. “Your sensei set you up with tutors that aren’t working. That’s because they don’t know what works for you. I know your study method and how to get you good grades. Your sensei should’ve asked you if you had previous tutors.”

“She did,” Hinata says, fiddling with his bag strap.

“And?” Kei prods though he knows the answer, even without Hinata’s fidgeting. “Why didn’t you tell her you did?” Maybe Kei overstepped, maybe Hinata didn’t want his help. Last year he’d roll his eyes and walk away, unbothered and uncaring. He wonders to himself when that changed.

“I didn’t think you’d tutor me again,” Hinata admits, at last returning Kei’s gaze. Brown eyes meet his and Kei glances away with a furrow his eyebrows. “Wouldn’t I be more likely to help you now as opposed to last year? Yet I still helped you last year. And we’re… friends.”

Were they?

Hinata stares at him, his eyes shining. “Aww Saltyshima, you’re pretty sweet!”

“I take back my offer,” Kei says, with no intent of following out his words.

“Too late!” Hinata offers his hand, palm up. “Come on, I’ll buy you a meat bun.”

Kei pauses before giving his hand, letting the energetic shorty lead him inside the store. “Didn’t you lose your wallet?”

“I found it! Turns out there’s a reason we should keep the club room clean,” Hinata says with a sheepish laugh. “It was underneath a pile of dirty practice jerseys.”

Kei wrinkles his nose. “Lovely.”

“Don’t worry, I wiped it off! I think it was actually directly underneath your number from last year, one of the first years wore it.”

Eleven. Not a large jump going from eleven to eight, but enough to feel odd. Any number change is a little odd. Yamaguchi has Kageyama’s number from last year; Kei is certain he likes that fact, from the way Yamaguchi has eyed the setter as of late. Kageyama has the current captain’s old number, good old six, and Hinata—

Hinata has seven. Although in middle school, he claimed there wasn’t a point to having favorite or lucky numbers, but seven is secretly Kei’s favorite number. That’s what he tells himself whenever he catches his eyes wandering over to the newly assigned wing spiker. The number, not the person wearing it, catches his attention.

“That’s because a first year has my number now,” Kei says. A new middle blocker, not as tall as him but close enough, has his old number. He’s a decent player, eager to learn and is a constant presence with all his middle blocker senpai, asking for tips and guidance. Narita has taken him under his wing especially.

“I liked eleven better on you,” Hinata says. Kei realizes they’re holding hands and hopes the cold air caused his pink cheeks.

“That’s not how jerseys work,” Kei says. He doesn’t look down at their laced hands because if he does, Hinata will notice and might pull away, and Kei also realizes that maybe he doesn’t want to pull away.

“I know how jerseys work, Bakashima!” Hinata huffs and heads towards the meat buns; their hands slip out of grasp.

“Bakashima, is that a new one?” Kei inquires. “Maybe Kageyama is rubbing off on you.”

Hinata doesn’t turn his head as he makes a sound that could only be him puffing his cheeks in annoyance. Kei stares at his empty hand. He doesn’t think it’s the cold weather that makes his hand now freezing.

~~

“You have to make a ‘ _ k- _ ’ sound when you say couch. The ‘c’ isn’t silent.”

“But I didn’t say that sound when I said ‘city’ and you didn’t say anything then.”

“That’s because ‘city’ has a soft ‘c.’ When you say ‘couch,’ the ‘c’ is hard. It sounds like a ‘k.’”

“That’s dumb. Why is it different?”

“English is utter bullshit of a language and has twisted rules.” Kei marks the word Hinata is having trouble with, and points at it. “Again. Hard ‘c.’”

Hinata repeats the word, putting too hard of a ‘k’ on it.

“Better,” Kei says. “Not terrible.”

“I did what you said!”

“Yeah, but you said ‘K-ouch,’ too rough of a ‘k’ sound.”

Hinata slumps over the table, chest covering his textbook and papers. “We’ve studied for like, five hours.”

“Twenty-five minutes,” Kei says.

“Far too long,” Hinata complains.

Kei raises an eyebrow. “You don’t want your kouhai to see you miss part of training camp because you’re taking make-up exams, right?” Playing the ‘senpai’ card usually gets Hinata out of his funk.

And by the way Hinata jolts off his seat, scrambling to continue writing in his notebook, reminds Kei that he still has a few tricks up his sleeve.

He doesn’t even realize he’s grinning and not smirking.

~~

“Tsukishima!” Hinata yells across the bustling gym. He zig-zags across paired up first years practicing receiving back and forth— why he doesn’t go around them, Kei doesn’t know, but Hinata never takes the easy way. He knew that much by watching the redhead’s middle school match against Kageyama. See? He called him Kageyama, not king, even in his head. He’s not a total asshole.

Only a partial one, and when the moment is right. He’s learning.

After dismissing these thoughts of ‘character development,’ Kei is meet with the sight of Hinata a few meters away. From the way two first years awkwardly glance at Hinata and Hinata himself now with a bright red cheek, it’s not hard to piece together what happened.

“That’s why you could go around instead of playing dodgeball,” Kei says. “It’s volleyball for a reason.”

Hinata doesn’t even reply to the comment. “Practice with me!”

“Hinata-kun!” Yachi races towards his side. “Are you okay? Do you need ice?”

“I’m good!” Hinata grins widely. “Perfectly alright!”

“We keep telling you, Yachi-chan, this is normal!” Nishinoya calls.

“And it shouldn’t,” Coach Ukai mutters under his breath. Takeda chuckles beside him.

“We’re all practicing,” Kei says in regard to Hinata’s comment.

“I mean, be my partner!”

A flush creeps up Kei’s cheeks; he’s not sure why. “Why? Aren’t you eager to hit Kageyama’s tosses?”

Hinata juts his chin out towards the third years. All of them sans Nishinoya are in a small circle with Kageyama and judging by the setter’s signals, they’re discussing potential plays. Nishinoya fidgets on the opposite side of the net, anxiously waiting for them to begin so he can receive. “Kageyama wants to practice with the senpai,” Hinata explains. “Especially since he had more practice setting to Tanaka only from last year.”

“I’m not a setter,” Kei says obviously. Why else would he want to practice with him?

Hinata tilts his head, unbothered. “So? We can still practice. Receives or serves? Maybe I can try serving and you receiving!”

“You’re shit at serving,” Kei says.

“I’ve practiced!” Hinata argues. “And the only way to get better is to practice!”

And he’s got Kei there. He’ll admit defeat this time. “Fine, but don’t complain when I can’t hit them because they’re shit.”

“Bakashima!”

After checking with Coach Ukai, they get the clear to practice outside so they’re not crowded by the rest of the club.

Kei pats himself on the back for wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt. With the cool temperature feeling even colder with the slight breezes, any extra warmth is much-appreciated.

Hinata’s serves had improved, even though they’re not great. At least he’s more likely to get the ball across the net and not out of bounds to boot. 

Kei is surprised that he doesn't hate this. Practicing outside, with Hinata, doing something as basic as receives. Months ago, especially last year, he would’ve just barely preferred this over pulling out his own teeth with rusty pliers. He doesn't know what happened.

Oh.

_ Oh. _

Yes, he does.

He’s never felt like this before, the closet was when he had a crush on a fellow dinosaur fanatic in second year of middle school. And even then it wasn’t as strong as it is now.

Oh.

Well. That would explain a lot.

“Tsukishima!” Hinata waves a hand. “You missed the ball.”

Kei immediately jumps back with, “Didn’t feel it, so you must not have received it well.”

As Hinata replies with a remark, Kei has to stop himself from chuckling at him.

So he has a crush. 

Things could be worse.


End file.
